Holdback lock



July 19, 1966 D. H. cHEw 3,261,630

HoLDBAoK Loox DEWEY H CIL/EW 401:, m C/UW-/ ATTORNEY D. H. CHEW HOLDBACKLOCK July 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April '7, 1964 w RH mC w. WH1w W E D M wmf.

A T TOPNE V United States Patent O 3,261,630 HOLDBACK LOCK Dewey H.Chew, Concord, Calif., assigner to Schlage Lock Company, a corporationFiled Apr. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 357,939 Claims. (Cl. 292-169) Thisinvention relates to a holdback lock wherein means is provided forholding the latch bolt in retracted position.

In some lockset installations, for example hospital room doors, it isdesirable to be able to hold the latch bolt in retracted position out ofengagement with the keeper so that the door may be swung open withoutrequiring actuation of the knob spindle. In the case of hospital roomssuch a holdback feature is desirable especially during periods when thedoor is being opened and closed frequently.

In such holdback locks it is desirable to be able to restore the locksetto its normal condition with the latch bolt spring urged to itsprojected position so as to operate in the normal manner.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of meansproviding a holdback function permitting the latch bolt to be held inits retracted position for any period of time desired and at the sametime permit the lockset to be restored to its normal condition so as tosatisfy certain fire regulations.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a holdback lockwherein the latch bolt is retracted and automatically held back in itsretracted position by operation of one of the knob spindles in thenormal manner. In such a case the present invention permits the latchbolt to be held in its retracted position despite normal operation oftheother knob spindle.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a locksetincorporating the holdback feature and including an easily operatedmeans for restoring the latch bolt to its normal projected position.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification and from the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view, partly in elevation of a locksetincorporating the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view through theouter spindle showing the spindle in its held back position.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken in a plane indicated bylines 3 3 of FIG. 2 but showing the spindle in normal position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with `the spindle rotated to oneof the hold back positions.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified form of theinvention.

FIG. -6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the spindle rotated to oneof the hold back positions.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing another modied form of theinvention.

First with reference `to FIG. 1, the invention is illustrated inconnection with a generally conventional lockset that includes inner andouter knobs 1, 2 supported on inner and outer knob spindles 3, 4,respectively. Said spindles are provided with rollbacks 5, 6 adapted toengage retracter slide 7 which in turn is connected to the latch bolt 8of a latch unit generally designated 9. Slide 7 is urged outwardly atall times by means of springs 10 thus normally holding latch bolt 8 in aprojected position as shown in FIG. 1.

The normal operation of the lockset permits the latch bolt 8 to -beretracted to open the door by rotating spindles 3, 4 in either directionfrom their normal position by means of the attached knobs. The presentinvention will be described with reference to the outer spindle 4although it will be understood that the holdback feature may be C ICCinstalled in either spindle. The term outer is used herein assuming theinstallation is one wherein knob 1 is on the inside of a hospital roomdoor and knob 2 on the outside.

As best seen in FIG. 2, spindle 4 is rotatable mounted within a hub 13which in turn is secured to the lockset housing generally designated 14(FIG. l). Adjacent the inner end of hub 13 there is provided a radiallyextending hole 15 in which is slidably received a pin 16. In the normalposition of the lockset pin 16 engages the outer periphery of spindle 4but upon rotation of the spindle 4 pin 16 is adapted to be received inone or the other of a pair of radially extending bores 17, 18 formed inthe sidewall of spindle 4. As seen in' FIG. 3 the rotation of spindle 4required to bring one or the other of holes 17, 18 into registrationwith the pin 16 is about the same as is required to completely retractthe latch bolt 8. The pin 16 is urged radially inwardly at all times bymeans of a spring clip 19 surrounding the hub 13 as best seen in FIG. 3.At this point it will be noted that when spindle 4 is rotated to retractthe latch bolt the pin 16 will enter one or the other of the bores 17,18 depending on the direction of rotation of spindle 4. In this mannerouter spindle 4 is held by pin 16 in a position corresponding to theretracted position of latch bolt 8. In such a case it will be apparentthat rotation of the inner knob 1 will have no effect on the slide 7since the rollbacks 5 of inner spindle 3 are out of engagement with saidslide.

For the purpose of restoring the lock to its normal position with thelatch bolt projected, there is provided within spindle 4 a cammingmember 20 which is slidably received within spindle 4 and normally inengagement at its outer end with the knob catch 22 which extendstransversely of spindle 4.

Outwardly of knob catch 22 in spindle 4 is a plunger unit generallydesignated 25 and which plunger unit includes an outer -button 26secured to an elongated plunger 27 which extends inwardly of spindle 4and into a longitudinally extending recess 2S in camming member 20.Plunger unit 25 includes helical compression springs 29,

" 30. Spring 30 acts as a retainer and spring 29 urges the plunger 274together with button 26 outwardly of spindle 4 at all times.

Camming member 20 is formed adjacent its inner end to provide afrustoconical portion 35 and a disk-like end portion 36. At the juncturebetween the end portion 36 and the frustoconical portion 35 the cammingmember 20 is adapted to receive balls 39, 40 which extend partially intobores 17, 18, respectively, as best seen in FIG.

. 3. From FIG. 2 it will be apparent when the outer button 26 isdepressed the plunger 27 urges the camming member 20 inwardly of spindle4 thereby camming the balls 39, 40 radially outwardly into bores 17, 18.If the pin 16 is received in one of said bores 17, 18, said pin will beurged outwardly against the resiliency of the spring clip 19 therebypermitting the springs 10 (FIG. l) of the slide 7 -to project the latchbolt 8 and at the same time return spindle 4 to its normal position. InFIG. 2 the inner position of camming member 20 is shown in dotdashlines. Naturally the compression spring 29 serves to return the button26 to its outer position and the operative one of the balls 39, 40 tendsto return the camming member 20 to its outer position in abutment withthe knob catch 22.

It will be apparent from the above description that there is provided alockset having a spindle which, when rotated to retract the latch bolt,is heldin a position corresponding to the retracted latch bolt until itis positively released by depressing button 26.

A modilied form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 whereinspindle 41 is provided with a pair of bores 42, 43 as in the previouslydescribed form. However, in this case a ball 45 is received within ahole 46 formed in hub 47. The ball 45 is urged radially inwardly by aspring clip 48 which is the same as spring clip 19' in the previouslydescribed embodiment. It will be seen that rotation of the spindle 41 ineither direction from the neutral position of FIG. 5 results in the ball45 being partially received within one or the other of the bores 42, 43depending on the direction of rotation of the spindle 41. The frictiondeveloped by movement of the ball 45 partially into one of the bores 42,43 is suflcient to hold the spindle 41 and the associated latch bolt ina holdback position.

With the structure of FIGS. 5, 6 it is of course necessary to rotate theknob spindle 41 against the friction developed by ball 45 in order toreturn the latch bolt to its projected position.

It will be apparent that the bores 42, 43 need not extend completelythrough the sidewall of the spindle 41 and, in fact, as seen in FIG. 7,recesses 50 may be provided in the spindle shown at 51 so as to receivethe ball 45 therein thus developing suicient friction to hold thespindle and latch bolt in the holdback position.

It should be understood thta the very specific descriptions given aboveof. the preferred forms of the invention should not be taken asrestrictive as it will be apparent that various modifications in designmay be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a latchset that includes a normally projected latch bolt and aspindle rotatably supported in a stationary hub and adapted to berotated from a normal position to retract said latch bolt,

a locking element carried by said hub and spring-urged radially inwardlythereof,

said spindle being formed with a radially extending hole adapted toregister with said element for receiving the latter therein when saidspindle is rotated a predetermined amount from said normal position,whereby said spindle is held by said element in retracted position,

and means carried by said spindle for disengaging said element from saidhole to permit return of said spindle and latch bolt to projectedposition.

2. A latchset according to claim 1 wherein said element comprises a pinand said last mentioned means includes a ball partially received in saidhole.

3. In a latchset that includes a normally projected latch bolt, aretracter slide, and a spindle rotatably supported in a stationary huband provided with rollbacks for retracting said slide and latch bolt,

a pin mounted in said hub for radial movement relative thereto,

spring means for urging said pin radially inwardly toward said spindleat all times,

a radially extending bore in said spindle angularly 01T- set from saidbore in said hub and adapted to receive said pin therein when saidspindle is rotated to a position corresponding to the retracted positionof said latch bolt, whereby said spindle is held in said position bysaid pin,

a ball partially received in said bore, and

cam means carried by said spindle for urging said ball radiallyoutwardly to eject said pin from said bore to permit return of saidspindle and latch bolt to normal position.

4. A latchset according to claim 3 wherein said cam means comprises aplunger slidably received in said spindle and provided with a 4cammingsurface in engagement with said ball.

5. A latchset according to claim 4 wherein said spindle is provided witha depressible button at its outer end for moving said plunger axially ofsaid spindle to eject said pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,591 4/1942Heyer 70-151 2,454,920 ll/ 1948 Heinman -150 2,630,697 3/1953 Welch70-216 2,764,014 9/1956 George 292-359 2,838,926 6/1958 Schmid 70-2162,920,472 l/1960 Welch 70-216 2,998,274 8/1961 Russell 292-169 3,097,8727/1963 Russell 292-169 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner.

I. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A LATCHSET THAT INCLUDES A NORMALLY PROJECTED LATCH BOLT AND ASPINDLE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN A STATIONARY HUB AND ADAPTED TO BEROTATED FROM A NORMAL POSITION TO RETRACT SAID LATCH BOLT, A LOCKINGELEMENT CARRIED BY SAID HUB AND SPRING-URGED RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREOF,SAID SPINDLE BEING FORMED WITH A RADIALLY EXTENDING HOLE ADAPTED TOREGISTER WITH SAID ELEMENT FOR RECEIVING THE LATTER THEREIN WHEN SAIDSPINDLE IS ROTATED A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION,WHEREBY SAID SPINDLE IS HELD BY SAID ELEMENT IN RETRACTED POSITION, ANDMEANS CARRIED BT SAID SPINDLE FOR DISENGAGING SAID ELEMENT FROM SAIDHOLE TO PERMIT RETURN OF SAID SPINDLE AND LATCH BOLT TO PROJECTEDPOSITION.